Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Rodriguez.
Hi Melissa, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
The short story is, I woke up one day and decided to stop being afraid of chasing my dreams and go after something I am truly passionate about. Ever since I was a little girl, I had always dreamed of having my own clothing store, but never believed I could actually do it. At the time that I started Side of Sass, I was only 19 years old. All of my friends, along with myself, were in college. I did not know anyone my age who had a business of their own. I was terrified. I had no idea what the outcome would be, but I knew that if I never went for it, I would always have that “what if” burning in the back of my head like it had been doing already for so long. Before I could talk myself out of it, I just went for it.
One thing I always try to remind myself and others around me is that; we only get one life, so do whatever it is your heart desires. We must overcome the limited beliefs we set upon ourselves and take control of our own life. Live it up to the absolute fullest. Easier said than done yes, but when you begin to think this way, you become so much happier because you begin doing what YOU truly want to do. It is so important to live how we want because we want– not because society says we want. Every single day there are so many opportunities missed due to fear.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has definitely been a bumpy ride but I am so happy and grateful that I am able to say, “I did it and I am continuing to do it.” Nothing in life worthwhile is going to come easy. When I first started off, there were many times when I just wanted to give up. At the beginning, I had no idea what I was doing or who/how I was going to market to build a strong community. It all seemed so impossible. I had to step out of my comfort zone and start doing things I wouldn’t normally do such as: going live and talking to the camera. It was so weird at first, but the more I stayed consistent the more comfortable I became and the bigger the community grew. Giving up gets you nowhere. If you truly want something you must pull through no matter how hard it may seem at first.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Side of Sass?
I try to provide the best experience and give a little extra pizzazz that you can’t get when you do shop with larger retail stores. It is very important to me to make everyone that shops with Side of Sass feel loved and special. I feel very connected with Side of Sass. It’s like my little baby that I want to share and show off to the world. There’s not a day that goes by that I’m not thinking of ways to make her grow and be better not for me, but for the girls.
I’m a very big girls’ girl! I strive for women looking and feeling their absolute best. We all look good, but it comes down to how we feel. Believe it or not but clothing has a major impact on the way we feel about ourselves. I could be feeling down all day, but the moment I get all dressed up head to toe, immediately I’m like, “ahh she’s back!” Hahaha. So, the purpose of Side of Sass is to make women of all ages and body types feel better about themselves through fashion. I’ve even created a spot on the website where anyone can go and ask for fashion advice. This form goes directly to my phone and allows me to respond as soon as you press enter. I call it the SOS Fashion Hotline. I think it’s great because there’s many times where we just need a second opinion or someone to go to and this is it!
My number one and most important goal is to bring the best pieces and experience to bring out the best you!
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Do what makes YOU happy. No one knows what you want besides you, and The Man Upstairs. You will receive many opinions and advice, some good others not so much. Always listen and hear others out, but not everything you hear or see is worth absorbing. At the end of the day, this is your life. The outcome is solely up to you. Do not compare your journey with anyone else’s. That is something I wish I knew. With social media today, we often see others’ lives and begin to compare our journey with theirs. Not everyone will move at the same pace. Just because someone else is at a certain point in life or business, does not mean you are behind. We must realize and accept that our journey is made specifically for us and others’ journey is made specifically for them. This is probably one of the biggest most frequent mistakes I’ve made and continue to struggle with, but I am working on being better about it. If there was anything I could tell someone starting out that would definitely be it.
Just live, have fun and always be genuine to you!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sideofsass.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/sideofsassfashion?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/sideofsassboutique
Image Credits
Alma Lemus
Camila Villagran
